Pyrgomorphs - Family PYRGOMORPHIDAE
This family is very close related with the Family ACRIDIDAE and sometimes put under ACRIDIDAE as the subfamily. Member in this family are different from acridids in having a cone-shaped head. Usually they hide in grasses, not quite jump or fly, relies on protection of their camouflage colour. We only find one species in this family.
Grass Pyrgimorph - Atractomorpha similis or Atractomorpha australis
This page contains pictures and information about Grass Pyrgimorphs that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia. The insects in this page could be Atractomorpha similis or Atractomorpha australis. Both species look similar and can be found in Brisbane.
- Female and male, length 40mm and 30mm.
- This grasshopper is also known as Vegetable Grasshopper. They are common in Brisbane and easily found on grasses and other garden plants. They are small and green in colour. They do not jump very fast nor fly very far, easy to catch, but hard to be seen when they hide in grasses.
- Nymph, length 20mm Adult, length 30mm
- They are grass green in colour, with pink colour on their hind wings and abdomen, covered by front wings. Males are smaller than female in size. Nymphs look similar to the adults except wingless.
- The Vegetable Grasshoppers feed on different type of leaves, mainly on dicotyledonous plants. They can be pest in gardens and farms, but seldom cause large damages.
- This species look very similar with the Australian Grass Pyrgomorph Atractomorpha australis, which can also be found in the southeast of Australia.
- Reference:
- 1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p388.
- 2. Grasshopper Country - the Abundant Orthopteroid Insects of Australia, D Rentz, UNSW Press, 1996, p169.
- 3. A Guide to Australian Grasshoppers and Locusts - DCF Rentz, RC Lewis, YN Su and MS Upton, 2003, p57, 58.
